Return to Tokyo
by Flyboy254
Summary: After the incident, they said we were heroes. They said we could finally be in peace. Yet as long as humans live, there will never be peace for us...
1. Prologue

Return to Tokyo

Ha ha! That's right baby, after a brief rest, Apollo is back! Remember, read Sailors in America, and Return of the Dark Kingdom, before diving in. However, if you have already read both stories and liked them…what the hell are you still reading this for?

Oh, and this will be the first appearance of A.N.s in the story. (sniff) Seems like just yesterday I got my first review…(breaks into tears) They upload so fast!

* * *

Prologue- The Dragon Revives

The chamber was dark, illuminated only by a single, bare bulb hanging by the ceiling. Below it was a single wooden chair. And in that chair was a man in a sailors outfit, his head held low, as if afraid to look up.

"You failed in your mission, commander," said a deep voice from far above. "What happened?"

The man carefully choose each word, trying his best to avoid making the voice angry. "When we had arrived, the contacts were transporting the weapons to the ship. However, the man we were supposed to meet with wasn't on the boat. We waited…and…and…"

Another voice, this one a woman's, spoke next. "What happened commander?"

The man wiped his brow before continuing. "A light appeared. Somehow, lightning came down from the sky. Light…_appeared_! From the ground!" He started growing more and more distressed. "Gunfire came from everywhere! Flashes came from the forest! When it started, we thought it was a trap! We had to sink the boat!"

One of the voices held up a hand. "That is enough commander. We know you are telling the truth. We merely wanted to confirm the information we discovered was correct." The commander looked at the voice, surprised. "Yes, that's correct. We hacked into the US Defense system, and discovered something. It seems you were not placed in a trap. Rather, you were placed in the wrong place at the right time."

The first voice spoke again. "We have a new plan to gain dominance. Your mission now is simple; secure at least two of these people here. Their dossiers will be sent to you later. Now, your focus is to train your men in taking them. Be warned, despite their age, they are powerful combatants. And most importantly, do not, under any circumstances, allow yourself to be found. If the world finds out about this, this will be the end. You are dismissed."

Rising and saluting, the man turned on his heel and left through the only doors to the chamber.

* * *

Deep below the Earth, the presence awoke. Though it had not awoken in ages, it had felt the energies coming from the surface. It felt around everywhere. When it sensed where the energy was the strongest, it wakened it children. "Arise, my blood. The time has come to seek our revenge."

* * *

Far away, a young girl screamed awake. Panting heavily, she turned on her lamp and looked at her clock. "Twelve midnight?" she said. To her, it seemed like the dream was happening in real time. "Better get back to bed. Mom'll be on my case for weeks if I'm late again."

And so, Serena fell back into slumberland, dreaming instead of a nice, juicy, rib-eye steak.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- On the Road Again

* * *

Robert Jones was happy. Sure, he owed some money, and sure, his brother had gotten into trouble for throwing a baseball through a window. But the family that owned the house was a friend of his fathers, and the money was really a sting for the FBI. Yep, everything was fine. That's why he was called to the Oval Office for a briefing. "Never fails," he thought. "I have a good run and then I'm called up."

Walking to the front gate, he went through the normal screening process. First, show your badge. Second, pat-down search. Third, show badge again to marines at the door. Fourth, second pat-down search. Fifth, answer a barrage of questions that hardly anyone knew the answer too. Sixth, walk down a long corridor packed with Secret Service, all armed with guns and trained in martial arts. And finally, a retinal-DNA scan of your person, complete with voice identification.

The whole thing took five minutes. Walking into the office, Bob first saw General Eastwing, USAF, sitting on one of the couches in the office. Next, he saw the Director of the FBI, Peter Kelling. The new director of the CIA was also present, but Bob had distanced himself from the "farm" for quite a while now. "Mr. President," he said crisply, saluting.

The president turned away from the window and looked at Bob. Time had not been kind. There were more wrinkles on the man's face than when he started his first term. More gray had cropped up, causing a great conundrum for his handlers. To dye or not to dye, that was the question. "Hello, Robert. Please, sit down," said the president, motioning to an empty chair.

Eastwing spoke first. "Robert, we've been reviewing some statistics and we are…satisfied." His face held a stern look. "Your last few operations were _not_ against primarily military figures in Iran and N. Korea, correct?" Bob shook his head, not knowing where this was going. "You also did _not_ participate in the Tehran uprising against the Islamist government, or the Sudan conflict?" Another shake.

Kelling went next. "You also _didn't_ partake in several FBI undercover operations involving domestic terrorists, religious sects, or organized crime, correct?" Shaking his head, Bob began to grow anxious. What if they were going to kill him to keep their secrets safe?

The president looked dead in Bob's eyes. "Son, you have _never _been ordered to eliminate leading figures in the Iraq conflict, most notably a man named 'Al-Sadr'?" Another shake. The president smiled, and soon, the other men in the room smiled as well. "Thank you."

Bob was confused. "Wait…what's this all about?"

Eastwing chuckled. "Bob, you've been working almost as hard as our boys in Iraq. Maybe even harder! That's why we're giving you a break."

Kelling stuck out a plane ticket. "Your flight leaves tomorrow at five pm. Just tell us what you want taken with you, and we'll do what we can, alright?"

The president got up. "I'm giving you an order; relax. You need to work off some steam. Go to Tokyo, meet back up with the others. We'll discuss Operation 'Starlight' another time. Until then, get some rest."

Smiling broadly, Bob got up and saluted. As he walked out of the room, the president said, "And try not to get into trouble, alright?"

Bob turned, and, with a roughish look, replied, "I'll do my best sir."

* * *

The commander opened the dossiers and looked into the first. At first, he was skeptical. Kidnap teenagers? But no one disobeyed a direct order from the central committee. To do so would mean death, or worse. He read each one carefully, making mental notes on weaknesses, strengths, and who would be the best target. He decided on the blonde and the man with black hair. Not only would they be together during the capture, but the blonde would be the easiest to take. After, the file said she was clumsy, a glutton, and none to bright. "This may be easier than I thought."

One of his men came up behind him. "Comrade commander, we are approaching Tokyo." Nodding, the commander got up and left his cabin. Going to the railing, he looked out to the city that held his targets. "They will serve a greater purpose," he thought. "That is why I'm kidnapping them. They will help me accomplish what no one else back home can do."

* * *

Three street punks walked down the deserted alleyway. "So," said the smallest. "What we gonna do tonight? There ain't no one to mug since the fighting!"

The largest one, who wore a ratty leather jacket, grunted. "Well, why not stop thinking with your wallet and start with your head. All we need is a break."

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in their way. "You want a break? I can give you one."

The big thug whipped out a switchblade. "Hey, man, who the hell are you?"

The shadow came out, revealing itself to be a man wearing an expensive suit. "Oh, I'm just a good Samaritan helping out those in need." He slowly walked towards the punks, as silent as a cat on the prowl. "I overheard you saying you needed a break. Well, I have a task for you, and in reward," he took his hand out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a handful of gold and jewels. "And there's even more in store should you accomplish this task."

The trio looked hungrily at the treasure. Each imagined the happiness they could buy with it. "S…ssss…sss…yeah!" The leader blurted out. "Yeah, we'll help! Just tell us what to do!"

The man made let no emotion onto his face. "No, not 'what', but 'who'," he said, producing with his other hand a stack of photos. "I need you to eliminate each of these people here."

They each took the pictures. There were mostly girls, and only one guy. "Wait, you want us to take out some bitches?" the small one asked. "What the hell? You gotta be kiddin! This'll be the easiest job evah!"

The man spoke again. "Do not be fooled. Each of them is more than they seem, so we will have to give you some things in order for you to defeat them."

The leader laughed. "Alright, give us what you want."

Finally smiling, the man snapped his fingers. Suddenly, dark shapes appeared from the shadows, engulfing the three. "Hey, what the hell is this?" the smallest said, before he started screaming.

The man laughed a little. "Enhancing you. Simple thugs like you could never win against these girls, so I'm simply giving you an advantage."

The next to go was the silent second man. One of the shadows went in through his mouth, cutting off any chance of him screaming. The leader was the last to go. He swung away at the shadows, and for a minute, it looked like he was winning. However, the parts that were cut reformed almost instantly. Soon, he lost focus. He couldn't focus on one single shadow. Within seconds, he was overrun, falling to his knees in silence.

The man smiled at his newest creations. "Perfect. You three will do well in advancing our plans."

* * *

Luna and Artemis were stretched out on Serena's bed, basking in the sunlight from the open window. "This is living, isn't it Artemis?"

Her white counterpart meowed. "Yeah, it sure is, Luna. Maybe now we can finally have some quiet around here…"

Luna's communicator rang. "That's odd," she said. "All of the girls are in school, aren't they?"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah, and Darien and Maxwell are busy with the TV news. I don't know who it could be." Walking over, they touched the on button. "Hello? Who is this?"

The voice on the other end was instantly recognizable. "Hey, is that Luna there?"

Both cats smiled broadly. "Bob!"

"Hey, its good to hear from the both of you! Where is everyone?"

Artemis took over. "They're all at school Bob, but they should be back soon. What's up? Why are you calling us?"

"Well, the president said I deserved a break, so I'm taking one. Spread the word, you two, I'm coming back to Tokyo!"

* * *

**AN-That's right! We are back to Tokyo! And "retinal" means "eyeball". Just in case anyone thought the other end is being scanned. Sick bastards!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Turbulence

* * *

Bob leaned back in the chair. It was going to be a long flight to Tokyo, that he knew. So, he decided to just lie back, relax, and wait for the gentle touchdown.

Elsewhere on the plane, four men were planning to bring their cause to the world. As soon as they cleared the US, they would make sure they were heard. Once they were in Tokyo, it was true they would be tried as international criminals. But their devotion was unmatched. They would show the world the truth.

* * *

It was quiet in the White House, which made the president worried. "Something's coming," he thought. "Whenever its quiet for more than a week, something comes up."

General Eastwing was shocked at what his aides, his trusted major and lieutenant had told him. "You're telling me…"

Major Terrance Wallace nodded. "Yes sir. A day before the incident, someone hacked our files concerning the 'above Top Secret' information. We're trying to trace, but so far all we're hitting is a bunch of blank servers."

First lieutenant Jonathan Audley was next. "Right now, we suspect it either Russia or China. And honestly, sir, its more likely Russia than China."

Eastwing looked at the lieutenant like he was insane. "What?! The Chinese are the only ones who have ever managed to get even a third of the way into our systems, and you're telling me that somehow, the goddamn Russians found a way in?" The general shook his head. "Fine, lets suspend reality for a minute and say Russia really did do this. What clues do you actually have that leads us to Russia?"

Audley put a folder on the desk. Inside were some files that detailed "Operation Chimera", a CIA report that detailed the growth of Russia's computer intelligence. It seemed that Russia had, in secret, be skirting its programmers away from the commercial sector by luring them in with money, drugs, women, whatever passed for currency in Russia. It detailed how within three years, Russia had the capability to hack the London Central Bank. "Alright, this passes as interesting, but keep our leads open. China is still a main suspect, is that clear?" Both men nodded and left, leaving the general alone in his office, to stew in his own thoughts.

* * *

Serena collapsed onto the couch after she got home. "Oh, so tired!" Her bookbag fell to the floor with her, throwing books and papers everywhere. "Why can't school start at noon and end at three?"

Luna practically leaped at Serena. "I'm glad your home! I have wonderful news for you all!"

Serena fell down hard. "Ouch! Jeez, Luna, can you make me fall any harder?" Then she threw a crumpled up test at the cat. Luna dodged it easily. "A 20 percent!?"

Serena started rubbing the back of her head. "Well…it could have been worse?"

Luna sighed. "Your lucky the school year is almost over, because I have some news. Bob is on leave, and he said he would be able to come and visit for a few weeks."

Serena sprang up in excitement. "Really? That's awesome! I have to tell everyone!" she sang. Grabbing her communicator, she dialed up Ami, who spread the word to Ray, while Serena told Lita. In minutes, the whole of the Lunar Kingdom was informed of their arrival, and gathered in Lita's apartment.

"I say we throw a huge party!" Ray cried. "Drinks, guests, private room, the whole deal!"

Lita leaped up and shouted, "Hell yeah! We can even get some music! And a whole buffet!"

Artemis decided now was the right time to re-inject reality back into the conversation. "Um, girls, where do you plan to get the money to pay for all this?"

Ami was on it in an instant. "Well, we each have a considerable amount of money saved up from our time helping the US, plus the numerous favors the Japanese government has given us, so it should cost us a total of zero dollars and zero cents." She smiled quietly, leaving Artemis and Luna hanging their heads.

"So, how long until Bob comes in?" Mina inquired.

Maxwell looked at his watch. "About five hours. We should get started if we're going to throw this party."

* * *

The man silently said a quick prayer before rising from his seat. "Excuse me, sir, can I help you?"

"Yes," he said, "You can." He took out his gun, a concealable two-shot plastic weapon. His first shot was point blank, sending a round through the stewardess' forehead. The next went into a poor man who the hijacker chose at random. A federal air marshal had tried to get up and shoot the hijacker, but another one sprang up and put a round in the back of the marshal's head. A third got up, and unzipping his carry-on bag, revealed three Uzis, which was later found to be concealed behind some lead lined clothes.

"Attention passengers, this is not a hijacking. Instead it is a message, a signal to the world!" The leader then grabbed his Uzi and fired at random into the center row, killing men, women and children. He could care less. "That was to show our resolve. Now you are all our captives!"

Bob acted. He ducked down low, bringing his partner in the next seat with him. The man, a businessperson by the clothes, was clearly afraid. "What the hells going on?"

Bob poked his eyes up above the seat. Calmly, he replied, "Hijacking. They've already taken out the air marshal."

The man didn't believe it. "Your kidding me? I thought those guys were supposed to be good!"

"They are. But the terrorists confused him. They killed early, forcing him to act. They used unexpected weapons too," Bob replied, matter-of-factly. "The man never had a chance."

The businessman looked at Bob in utter confusion. "How the hell do you know this?"

Bob didn't even look at the man. He kept his eyes focused ahead. "I read a lot."

* * *

Darien had decided to turn on the TV while the girls busied themselves with planning the party. Soon, he wished he hadn't. "We interrupt this program for an important bulletin. It seems that there has been a hijacking of an airline in-bound from the United States. We are still getting information at this time, however, the hijackers have released this tape."

The anchor paused while the transmission came over the speakers. "We are what is left of the Liberators of the Universe. We have seen the truth of many things, and the world must listen! Unless it is stopped now, drastic measures must be taken!"

Darien listened carefully. The voice was clearly intelligent. It was also clearly insane. "Drastic measures?" he repeated in his mind. "This is bad," he thought.

The anchor confirmed Darien's suspicions. "It is now confirmed that the hijackers are part of the infamous Liberators of the Universe, a group that attacked Tokyo…"

Darien wasn't listening anymore Now he was running into the kitchen, ending phone calls left and right. "Hey!" Molly cried, "What do you think you're doing? Have you lost it?"

He made sure he was loud and clear. "Bob's airplane has been hijacked!" The room froze as the girls all processed the information they had just been given.

"What do you mean," Ami said. "Where are they? Have they landed? What are the authorities doing?"

"It doesn't matter," Darien said. "Our concern now is for Bob. We have to get to the airport, or else Bob could be killed!"

Everyone nodded, and in minutes, they were on their way to Tokyo airport, ready for anything.

* * *

Lt. Col. Grange, the leader of the US garrison in charge of protecting Tokyo, was flabbergasted. "An entire airline? Hijacked?" His aide nodded. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist on his desk hard enough to send his neat stack of papers everywhere. "Call out Second platoon, have them at the airport in thirty. Contact the SAT team there, have them prepare for anything. Have PACCOM send us everything about that plane, passenger manifests, cargo, who the air marshal is, everything."

Saluting, the aide left, leaving Grange standing over his desk, furious. "Dammit," he whispered, "And things were going good, too."

* * *

Bob looked over the situation and sighed. "Damn, how the hell do I transform here?" he thought. Looking to his left, he saw the man in the business suit was still awake and anxious. He kept darting his eyes left and right. It seemed he couldn't focus. Then Bob remembered his training on pressure points. "I'm sorry," he whispered, as he pinched the base of the man's brainstem. Instantly, the man slumped down, unconscious but still alive.

The lead hijacker was pleased. "Finally, we have the worlds attention!" He hefted his weapon proudly. "Soon," he thought, "You will be nothing but scrap."

A quick movement caught his eye. Looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, so he decided to go back to the cockpit, where the pilot was keeping them on-course to Tokyo airport, his co-pilots blood smeared over his front.

Bob peaked his head up from the edge of his seat and nodded. Now was the time. Slowly, a small light formed in his left hand. Then, putting on his aviator sunglasses, he decided to wait.

* * *

Grange looked down over the airport. All traffic had been cleared away, and snipers were positioned at strategic intervals. And, though he didn't want to dwell on it, divers were on hand to take care of any wreckage from a crash. "Gunny," he said to his company gunnery sergeant, "Are the men ready?"

The gunny nodded. "They are, sir. PACCOM just came through with the passenger list as well," he said, handing them to the Lt. Colonel. Reading down the list, the colonel's eyes froze on one name in particular. He rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. He scanned the other names, looking for a relative. He looked for typos or misprints. But there were none. It was there in black and white. "Gunny! Get those men back from the runway!"

* * *

The Scouts and the two soldiers leaped from building to building. Every so often, a person would point up and scream, "Look! Sailor Scouts!"

"So, what's the plan?" Venus called to Moon.

Mercury was already at work. "I've calculated our attacks in with the size of the plane. With any luck, there's only three terrorists on-board. If there are any more, though, we will be in trouble."

Jupiter nodded. "Can't we just gas them out?"

Nephrite shook his head. "There are too many people around who could get hurt. They could have a bomb too, se we can't destroy the plane! Our only chance is to go in as back-up!"

They all stopped. "What are you saying," Mask said in disbelief. "You want to sit around while Bob is in trouble? What's wrong with you?"

Nephrite didn't even stop running. "It's the only safe chance we have! Now hurry!"

* * *

The commander, like most of his men, was watching the news with anticipation. Unknown to the world, his country had purposefully inserted men into the Liberators, to fool them and destroy them from the inside. However, when the liberators attacked, all contact with those men had been severed. What if these were those men?

* * *

Grange looked around the airport once more and was satisfied. His men, as well as the men from the UN, were in proper positions, obviously ready for whatever was coming. However, as his helicopter flew over the west end, he saw something. Though they were small, they were clearly people. "Pilot! Put us down near the west!"

The president watched the situation unfolding and collapsed. Not into a chair, but onto the floor, causing pandemonium in the Oval Office. While Secret Service and EMS were hurrying him to the hospital, Eastwing and Kelling were alone with their staffs. "This isn't what I'd call good," the general finally said.

Kelling nodded. "Even with Bob on the flight, he can't use his abilities without drawing attention to himself. He has to wait until he lands, otherwise the secrets out." Kelling leaned back into his chair. "So, what happened to the pres?"

"Heart attack. Pretty severe one too, by the reaction," Eastwing answered. He looked down at the floor. "What's happened, Kelling. I've seen Vietnam, been shot down, and I still can't wrap my head around this. Its like…like ever since those girls appeared…Could they be the cause? I mean, could they, inadvertently…be causing this?"

Kelling went deep into thought. "I don't know. They're the good guys, we know that…But to cause this? No, there has to be something more…"

Both men looked at each other, trying to find and answer, but soon went right back to staring at the TV.

Wallace and Audley were watching from the edge of the room, each worried in their own right. They had worked with Bob during the "Spirit" incident, and had also gotten to know the Scouts and the two men. Neither wanted anything to happen, that was a fact. But stationed in their nations capitol, thousands of miles away, what could they do?

* * *

Grange rushed from the chopper to where he thought the Scouts had landed. "Scouts! Come out! Its me, Grange! Get out here, I need to talk to you!"

Almost instantly, eight flashes of light came from behind dumpsters, buildings and alleyways, stopping to form a circle around Grange. Each of them wore a look of anger.

"What's going on," Jupiter asked through clenched teeth.

Grange tried his best to keep cool, remembering what these girls had done to both the Liberators and to the rouge spooks. "It seems not all of the Liberators were taken care of. This is probably a small cell, so it should be easily handled by my men-"

Nephrite's sword suddenly came out, pointed directly at Grange's neck. The marines that made up Grange's bodyguard raised their weapons, but none of the Scouts looked back at them. Their sole focus was on Grange. "Tell us what's going on, for real," Nephrite said.

Grange looked right into the general's eyes, and with the pure truth in his eyes, said, "I was going to ask you the same thing."

* * *

**Hmm, what does this mean? I'm not saying I don't appreciate it, Helene, but I would like someone else to give their input, you know? So, someone give me a review, and I'll tell you what this means!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Terror's Face

* * *

The leader of the men on the plane smiled. This was all going perfectly. Now, the world would no longer stay in the dark of the secrets that were hidden by their so-called "governments". Looking towards the back of the aircraft, he saw exactly what he wanted to see. A horde of scared people, who had no choice but to listen. It didn't matter to him that he had just killed a dozen of them. In his twisted mind, the loss could easily be made up in the country where sex was treated as a recreational activity.

Bob was looking around too, and all he saw was sorrow. A mother clutched her bleeding child to herself, trying vainly to stop the flow of blood. An old couple lay slouched against one another, arms in a final embrace, frozen forever. A man lay over into the left aisle, blood pooling under his outstretched finger. He stared with growing anger at the scene. These were _his_ people, and some slime with some sick point to prove had chosen to cut it all short. The thought made him want to launch out, to stick them all, to destroy them until not one piece remained on Earth. But he was trained better than that. Instead, he hunkered down and waited. This was too important to do something irrational. So he sat, and waited.

Wallace suddenly bolted up and screamed, "That's it!" Bolting out of the situation room, he ran down the hallway, Audley trailing. "What?!" yelled the lieutenant, "What's 'it'?"

The major started yelling over his shoulder. "The plane is one of those big-ass 747s, right? So, each seat has a phone! We can contact Apollo through those!"

"So why the hell didn't anyone else come up with that idea, sir!"

Wallace shook his head. "Sometimes the simplest solution takes the longest to figure out!" Skidding to a stop outside the comm. center, Wallace ran to the nearest open computer. Typing in s series of commands he soon learned the number of the plane, what seat Apollo was in, and quickly started dialing in the number, when Audley stopped him.

"Lieutenant," Wallace growled, "Don't make me pull rank on you."

Audley looked at the major with a look of revelation. "Sir, there's no way to be clear on whether or not the phones are silent. If that phone rings and the enemy hears it…"

Wallace frowned. Audley was right. There wasn't a damn thing anyone could do.

* * *

Bob tried desperately to find a way to contact the outside. He thought about the seat phone, but decided against it, since he didn't know the right numbers to call. Second, he had forgotten his cell phone at his apartment, thinking he wouldn't need it because the girls had…! "That's it!" he thought. Peeking his head above the seat again, to make sure he was clear, he started dialing in a sequence that was sure to work.

* * *

Grange stared right into Nephrite's eyes and barely repressed a shiver. The man was as cold as ice, with the temper of a volcano. One wrong move or word, and Grange could kiss his ass goodbye. Slowly, he started speaking. "We don't think these are just random incidents anymore. We think you all have a hand in…triggering them."

Meanwhile, some of his men were surrounding the Sailor Scouts, weapons ready should anything go wrong.

"Venus," Mars whispered, "We're being surrounded. We have to end this, now."

Venus nodded. "We can't hurt them. Make sure you only knock them out."

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise came to everyone's ears. Looking around, they all focused their eyes on Sailor Moon, who was trying to shut off her communicator. "Oh," she said, realizing they were all watching her. "Sorry! I…heh…guess I forgot to turn this off…" she said, before she started punching and screaming at the thing.

Suddnly, Mercury cried out, "Freeze!" Instantly, Sailor Moon froze in place, fist raised to strike the communicator. "Only one other person outside here could possibly know how to contact us! It's Apollo! Quickly, give me the communicator!"

Face screwed up in concentration, Moon threw it as hard as she could over to Mercury. However, instead of landing at the girl's feet, it instead flew overhead, straight into one of the waiting Marines, who caught it and threw it to Grange, who answered. "This is Lt. Col. Grange, commander of the US Tokyo garrison. Is this Apollo?"

The voice on the other end was a whisper. "Grange? What the hell's going on? Where's Sailor Moon?"

Grange looked over. "She's inconvenienced for the moment. Right now, I'm your contact on the ground. Now, give me a sitrep, over."

"Sir, we have at least a dozen heavily wounded, maybe five dead. Four enemies with tactical small arms, but there is no sign of any explosives. Hostages are…calm. But once we land, its all up to you, over."

Grange nodded. "Roger, Apollo. Is there anything else, over."

"Put Sailor Mercury on."

Looking over, Grange struggled with himself before he handed over the communicator. Glaring, he stormed back to the helicopter, to fly back to the landing strip where the plane would land.

"Are they gone?"

Mercury answered, "Y…yes, they're gone." She broke down. "Oh, Bob, we were so worried! We thought…you were dead."

"Don't worry, I'm not there yet. Now, I need you all to do me a big favor."

"Of course," Mercury blurted out, "Just tell us."

"Get away from here."

They all stood stock-still, confused. "Wh…what do you mean-"

"Listen, Mercury, I know you want to help, but terrorists are hardly ever as accommodating. Whatever is happening on this plane is only a part of their overall plan. You all _have_ to patrol the city, otherwise you're leaving thousands defenseless, am I clear?" Silence. "Dammit, you guys, am I being clear!"

They had only heard Bob like this once before, and it scared them. So, completely resigned, Mercury answered, "Of course."

A sigh came from the other end of the line. "Alright. Now, get out there and split up into groups of two. Only come back to the airport if you absolutely have to, understand?" They all answered, "Yes".

"Oh, one more thing. It sounds like Grange is starting to get worried about all of you. I'm advising all of you to stay away from the US garrison as you are right now. That's all, Apollo out."

* * *

Andrew stared at the TV like everyone else in the arcade. To him, it seemed more personal. He had been part of the fighting in Tokyo, and had the wounds to prove it. "Man, what's going on in this town…"

Seconds later, three flashes of red light flew through the windows of the arcade. For a millisecond, Andrew saw a creature that looked like a giant reptile. Its scales were a dark red, and its mouth was full of razor sharp teeth. Its limbs were long, ending in sharp, glinting claws. Diving under the counter, Andrew pulled out the gun he had used during the fight, a police .38-caliber revolver. Lining it up, he fired just at the right moment. The round went straight through one of the creature's legs, spreading blood everywhere. For the moment, Andrew thought he had a chance. Then the creature's leg healed almost instantly, and it seemed to smile. "Aw, crap!"

* * *

"So, where should we search?" Jupiter screamed.

"We should split! Two in each direction! Earth, come with me! Mask, you and Moon take the west! Mercury and Mars get the South! Jupiter and Venus go east! Now move!" Splitting, each was in for their own separate surprise.

Bob looked carefully out the window and saw the plane was descending. "We must be getting close." The pilot had thankfully been smart, instead of a hero. "Thank God, too. We have enough hero's in this world already."

* * *

Suddenly, one of the hijackers came back into the cabin. "All of you who are near a window, get up against it, now!" Letting off another burst into the center aisle as a jumpstart, the people at the windows were practically hugging the glass. Including Bob. "Well, shit," he thought. "So much for the snipers Grange has."

"Attention Flight Delta four-niner, this is the tower, please respond, over."

The lead terrorist picked up the microphone. "This is the leader of the Liberators. We have demands we wish to be met. Connect us with the men down on the landing strip. And don't try to make any excuses," he said, grabbing one of the remaining stewardesses, "Or this will happen."

The controller heard the screams, then the gunshot. Quickly, he made the connection.

* * *

Andrew reloaded the chamber as he leaned against the barricade at the door. He and some of the surviving customers had made it into the upper floors, and were now hiding in the break room. The good news was that the sofas and snack machines made a good barricade. The bad news was that Andrew had only eight extra rounds. "Crap…"

The barricade bounced. "Hey man," one of the customers, a man with scraggly hair and sunglasses. "I don't know how you got that thing, but now would be a _really_ good time to use it!"

"I can't!" Andrew shot back. "Didn't you see me shoot one of them? They heal almost instantly! I'd just waste ammo!"

"Hey, check this out!" one of the other customers said. Slowly going over, Andrew looked out to see the other two things run from the arcade and split up, blood staining the street. "What're they doing?" he thought, as the barricade thumped again, throwing two of the men on it down.

* * *

"This is Lloyd Jackson with CNN news, covering the hijacking of Delta Airlines flight four-nine-zero, from Los Angeles. The cameraman is trying to find the plane…there! Over there, to our left!" (Camera pans to left) "There, you can see the plane from our helicopter coming in for its landing!" (Plane shown flying low on horizon; two F-35s start approaching it) Wait, what are those two jets doing, do we know?" (silence) "Well can we find out?" (mumbles) "Alright, alright. Um, ladies and gentlemen it appears another story is happening in the city right now, so we will have to cut away, but we will keep focused on this situation as it develops."

* * *

"Venus, what are we looking for?" Jupiter asked.

"Maybe nothing! Maybe everything! Just keep your eyes peeled!" She spoke into her newer communicator, which resembled the famous bluetooth. "Luna, can you read me?"

"Roger, Sailor Venus, I read you loud and clear. They say there's a situation in the city, so keep your guard up! We don't know what this could mean!"

Suddenly, a dark purple mist flashed in front of the two girls and started laughing, static filling Venus' communicator. "Luna! What's wrong? Luna!"

"That damned cat won't be able to help you now," said a voice in the mist, the kind of voice that makes the back of a person's spine crawl. Both girls imagined it as the voice the devil must use when he makes a deal. "Now, what should I do with you is the question on my mind. After all, this is our first encounter, and I'd hate to leave a bad impression."

Both girls got into combat positions. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

"Oh, its not what I want," the mist said. "Its what my children want." Then a blast of air threw both girls back, forcing them painfully onto the roof of the building they were on. "You see, if you surrender, I can guarantee that your deaths will be quick and painless."

"We'll still be dead, you moron!" Jupiter yelled. Getting up, she cried "Jupiter thunder blast!"

The lightning bolt went straight through the mist, and the cloud laughed. "I thought you would be stronger, Sailor Jupiter. After all, that thick forehead of yours must account for something."

Blushing red, Jupiter started stomping forward. "No, Jupiter, stay put! He's trying to trick us into a fight!"

"What's wrong, Sailor Venus, worried your makeup will get ruined? It couldn't make you look any worse."

Now it was Venus' turn to blush. "Lets get him."

* * *

The commander looked on with worry. The news said that there was another situation happening in Tokyo. "What could be so big it would draw away a news helicopter?" he wondered, watching the anchor drone on endlessly.

**

* * *

**

Hooray! Chapter 3! Now, would it kill you people to give me a review?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Rough Landings

* * *

Nephrite and Sailor Earth jumped everywhere, looking for any sign of a disturbance. Suddenly, Earth cried out, "Over there!" Turning, Nephrite saw a police riot van racing for the shopping district. Not wasting any time, he leaped after it, Earth trailing behind him.

* * *

Mercury and Mars looked carefully over the area from the roof of a building, Mercury using all her goggles sensors. While each was weakened from being used together, they gave her a better chance of seeing something big, than by using just one that might miss the problem. Suddenly, a red flash flew across her field of view, going from the ground to the roof of an office in under a few seconds. "Mars! Over there!"

"I see it!" Sutra in hand, Mars ran as fast as she could, Mercury following close.

* * *

Moon and Mask were running as fast as they could after the creature they had found. In the fight, Mask had taken a tear along his left arm, but the wound was superficial at worst, simply causing a good amount of blood to pour out. Throwing a rose as hard as he could, Mask hit the creature straight in the back. The creature seemed to snicker and pulled it out, the wound healing almost instantly. Leaping high into the sun, the pair had to shield their eyes from the light, giving the creature a perfect chance. Swinging its arm in a wide arc, it sent Sailor Moon flying into an A/C unit, blood coming from her forehead and side.

"Sailor Moon!" Running over, Mask found his love still breathing, but fading fast. Grabbing his cane, he ran wildly at the creature, swinging all the way, landing a vicious flurry of blows on it. Then the creature seemed to smile, and Mask got thrown across the roof. "This might be hard," he thought.

* * *

Bob looked out the window at the incoming runway. He saw that at least a third of the plane was standing, and swore. There were going to be a lot of sprained arms and ankles, and then shootings. He knew the terrorists wouldn't let anyone who fell live. They didn't care at all. Seeing the ground quickly approach, he braced himself as hard as he could. In seconds, the plane touched down, shaking him and everyone else at the windows. Some held steady. Others fell. As soon as the plane stopped, one of the hijackers walked back and quickly killed all the ones who fell. Soon, innocents covered the windows again.

Grange looked through the binoculars and swore. The windows were covered with civies. Now the snipers he had placed were worthless. Even worse, they could hold out for at least a day, with the food and drinks stored inside. Some people would think that since there was so little, they'd be out of the plane in no time. Grange, however, had been in similar food situations, and knew how long such food could last.

"Lt. Col., sir," his company gunny said. "The tower says the men inside want to talk."

Nodding, Grange picked up the receiver. "This is Lt. Col. Grange, commander of the US garrison in Tokyo. Who am I addressing?"

"For now, call me schlange," a cold voice said. "Why haven't your snipers fired yet, colonel?"

"The civilians in the windows," Grange answered. "We won't fire on our own people."

Laughing came from the other side of the mike. "Oh, that truly is funny!" Without pause, another burst cut through the plane, and five windows became vacant, and were just as quickly covered again. "You see? I can keep this going for days, colonel! Now, I will ask, and you will answer."

* * *

The commander went to the captain of the ship. "Captain, I need use of the shuttle."

The captain looked at the commander with disbelief. Since the mission was done in complete secrecy, the crew hadn't been informed just who their passengers were. "Where do you think you get the authority to order me around?" The commander produced papers from the committee tailor made for this situation. The look on the captain's face changed instantly. "Very well. I'll allow the use of it. Where are you going?"

"That's not important," the commander responded, taking only his most capable men onto the small craft.

* * *

Luna and Artemis watched the news closely. The helicopter was flying low over Tokyo, the reporter droning endless apologies to the audience. "What do you think is happening, Artemis?"

"I don't know, Luna. We destroyed Beryl and her forces-well, _most_ of her forces, and the Spirits are all dead or arrested. I don't know who else it could be."

"What the hell was that?" the TV said. Turning their heads quickly, the cats saw a red flash at the right side of the screen. "Where did it go?" the anchor yelled. Suddenly, a large dinosaur-like creature leaped at the camera, forcing the chopper back up high. For a minute, the cats forgot it was only the TV and leaped backwards, meowing. They slammed into a flower vase, and down it fell, trapping Artemis inside. "Ah! Artemis, are you alright?"

"Oh…smell the pretty flowers…"

* * *

Jupiter dodged an attack from the mist, then responded with a vicious roundhouse. Her leg went right through the mist. "Dammit, you bastard! Stay still!"

The mist laughed again. "Really, you don't know what's happening?"

"Venus Crescent Beam!" The light shot through the center of the mist, and for a minute, it wavered. Then it came back, darker than before. "Ha! I knew it! You're just as weak as the others!" Laughing maniacally, it started to fade away. "Well, I'd say this was very productive. I'll see you both again."

Before either girl could do a thing, the mist faded away. Then, a noise came to Venus' ear. "Honestly, you stupid idiot, I can't believe you sometimes!"

"Hey, watch it Luna! I tried my best!" Venus yelled back.

"Sailor Venus! You're back! We lost communications! I though you were-"

"Not now Luna!" Jupiter screamed. "What's going on in this town?"

"I don't know, but the others are right in the middle of it! Nephrite and Earth are on TV right now!"

* * *

Nephrite and Earth stood over the building, watching the police surround the area. Riot police were taking positions everywhere, and news helicopters slowly congregated. For a minute, it seemed like one of them focused on her and Nephrite. "This won't be easy. There's a chance we'll be spotted."

"It doesn't matter. That man who runs the arcade is a friend, and I won't let anything happen to my friends." Leaping from the roof, Earth led the way into the arcade, completely bypassing the police.

Inside was a scene of utter devastation. Bodies and pieces of bodies lay everywhere. Blood smeared the fighting games, making them look almost perfect, like it was a kind of promotional stunt. Slowly, the pair made their way through, but no one was alive on the first floor.

"You! You're a sailor scout, aren't you?" Turning, Earth saw a police officer in riot gear behind them, five more covering him. "Thank God you're here! We can't do anything to these things! Every time we shoot them, they just bounce right back! We've already got three wounded, and there are people upstairs trapped in a break room! Can you help us?"

"Just stay out of our way," Nephrite said. "We don't want anyone else to get hurt."

* * *

Mercury and Mars slowly looked around the corner, and nervously looked at each other. The thing was like a giant lizard. Right now, it was rooting around in a dumpster, almost oblivious to the three homeless it had just killed. "What is it?" Mars whispered, her eyes wide.

"I don't know. The scanner doesn't recognize it. All I keep getting is 'unknown DNA signature'. Unless I can get a piece of its skin or some blood, I won't know at all."

Looking back at the creature, Mars swallowed nervously. Trying hard to keep her fear in check, she pulled her sutra and started chanting. Looking around the corner again, she saw the thing had disappeared. "Hey, where'd it go?"

Mercury's arm shot straight up. "Above you!" A second later the thing landed between the two, facing sailor Mars, grinning. "Oh, crud…"

* * *

Grange stood over the radio he had set up. Reports were coming in from all over Tokyo about strange creatures that looked like two-legged lizards. Currently, the police, one sailor scout and a man were handling one in an arcade. The British were moving in on one on top of an officer building, where another girl and a man in a tuxedo were fighting a second creature. Finally, the Koreans were going to aide a pair of scouts fighting a third. "So where are the other two scouts?"

"Sir," and aide screamed from his radio, "One of the choppers has spotted a small boat moving in from the east! Occupants wearing complete black! Faces unidentifiable! Weapons are L85s!"

Grange swore to himself. This meant that someone had a second agenda, and he didn't know who it was. "How long until they make landfall?"

"They've already landed sir!"

The commander moved quickly. The faster these people were eliminated, the faster the mission could proceed. Quickly, his men came up on an American observation post, and quickly disabled the men inside. They then moved on to the landing strip, and saw the plane on the runway. Back somewhere in his mind, the commander remembered that it was his men who were chosen to infiltrate the group. If these were them, then he would be murdering men he had led. But that was a secondary concern. His orders were to secure the targets. If this got him any closer to that goal, he would do it, or die trying.

Bob thought he saw something from the edge of his view. It looked, for a split second, like men in black combat gear moving in on the rear of the plane. For a millisecond, panic gripped Bob's heart. He flashed back to the "Spirit" incident, and almost dropped from the window. But it passed as quickly as it came. "Besides," he thought, "This could let me take two birds with one stone."

Grange looked over and swore. The men in black were quickly moving in on the jet. Then, without warning, one hoped on another who was at the base of the rear of the plane. The man who had leapt looked like he was attaching something, then, without warning, a small explosive detonated. At the same time, the others fired on the Marines. "Shit! All units, return fire!"

The commander knew what was coming from the Americans. In fact, he had anticipated it. That was why he had some of the men fire on the Marines. He had respect for them as fighters. There wasn't a military in the world that didn't at least respect the US Marines. However, he had his orders. Leaping up on his sergeant, he threw himself in the airplane and light up his night-vision. Quickly, he saw two shapes holding weapons and dropped them, the screams from the passengers almost drowning out the gunfire. Quickly, he proceeded into the first class area, which only held one, but one who was ready. He had enough time to fire one burst before falling.

Bob waited for the smoke to clear before making his move. He counted off the men coming through until he reached five, then leaped at the nearest one. Tackling the man, he wrestled for the weapon he held. However, the smoke obscured most of his vision, and, in trying to reach for the magazine, ended up grabbing air. Soon, he was thrown off and knocked out, face on the floor.

Grange felt like a fighter again, as he sighted and fired. His shots were close enough to spark the ground in front of the man he chose for a target, but not enough to make him flinch. The Marine helicopters were useless, as even one cannon burst would tear into the plane. The snipers, however, were much more effective. Taking careful aim, the first shots took down four of the assailants. For one brief moment, Grange was sure they would lose. Then their comrades torched the bodies to the point that the clothes seemed to evaporate, to everyone's disbelief. "Goddammit!" he yelled, letting off a burst.

"Get back!" the lead hijacker yelled. The captain of the plane was right in front of him, a human shield. "One more move and he dies! You really want that?"

Not even pausing, the commander simply fired through the captain, straight into the hijackers head. Collapsing, the captain looked at the commander, a look of despair and confusion in his eyes, before collapsing. Not even waiting, the commander ran for the hole. By now, more people were rising from the explosion. Quickly, he ran down the aisle, stepping on some, then jumping from the plane and running back to the small craft.

"What the hell's going on?" Grange yelled. The men in black were running away. "Chopper Delta, can you disable their boat?"

"Roger, sir." Without waiting, the pilot targeted the boat and let loose with cannon fire. Soon, the boat was a shredded wreck of metal. Smiling, the pilot was soon shocked to see the men simply jump in and start swimming. "Sir?"

Grange simply stared at the screen. "What the hell is going on?"

* * *

Tuxedo Mask leaped from roof to roof, desperately dodging the blows coming from the creature behind him. Quickly, he shifted Moon's weight. "Jeez, how the hell does she keep so thin?" he thought, barely sticking his next landing, leaning precariously close to the edge of the roof. All around he saw people looking out of buildings at the spectacle. "Hope their enjoying themselves," he thought, sourly, "Because I'm not." Craning his head behind him, he stopped. The creature that had been chasing them had disappeared. "What?"

Then a hand reached up from beneath him, pulling him and Moon through the top of the roof.

* * *

"Mercury bubbles!" Thankfully, the trick worked, and Mercury quickly hoisted Mars up and carried her off. The monster had taken a scratch out of her friend, leaving blood running down Mercury's shoulder. "Come on, Mars, wake up!"

Mars, however, was barely conscious, clinging desperately to Mercury. "No…I don't wanna study," she muttered.

"You won't be studying anymore if you don't wake up!" Mercury yelled. Coming out of the alley, she found herself in a market area, full of people. "Oh no…"

The creature then leaped over her, tearing a bloody streak through the crowd, then turned to smile at Mercury. Leaping across the intersection, it was T-boned by an oncoming truck, breaking the trucks horn and sending the creature flying down the street. The trucks horn blared through the street. The whole front of the truck was bent in, and some pieces of metal were sticking out of the monster. With a roar, the creature leaped away from the scene.

Mercury followed the thing for as long as she could, then sighed with relief. Then a groan sounded to her right, and she remembered how badly Mars was hurt. Leaping with all her might, she managed to get them both on top of one of the buildings. "Don't worry, Mars, I'll get help…somehow."

* * *

Mask slowly opened his eyes and groaned. His left side was in immense pain, and his head felt like it was in a fog. All around, a security system blared out that an intruder had entered the building. Slowly, he pulled himself up, and saw Moon. Her right arm was at a weird angle, and her mouth was dripping with blood. "Sailor Moon!" Crawling over, he lifted her up into a leaning position. "Don't worry, I'll get you to Grange, and his doctors can fix you up…" With all his remaining strength, he lifted her up, and slowly limped down the stairs, toward the nearest alley.

* * *

Andrew felt the door thump again and felt himself fly back, along with the others who had tried to keep the door shut. Then, with a flash, the creature landed on the man next to Andrew and ripped of the man's head. Not caring whether the gun would harm the creature or not, Andrew fired the gun point blank at the creatures head. With a roar, the creature reared up it head and stared right at Andrew. Slowly, it stalked over to him, the others in the room either frozen in place or running for the door. The creature almost stomped down on the floor like he was trying to scare Andrew.

"Earth Quake Strike!" With a loud rumbling, the floor beneath the monster reared up tossing it through the wall that led to the street, and in front of the police barricades. In seconds, the police were firing on the creature, the roar of gunfire clear in the day. Even clearer than that was the creature, who leaped away, almost screaming.

Looking at the hole in the arcades wall, Andrew slowly turned to the door where the yell came from. However, the door was clouded by dust, and all he saw were the outlines of a man and a woman. "Or is it a girl?" he thought, thinking the clothes she was wearing resembled a sailor outfit. Then it struck him. "Hey! You're one of those sailor scouts!"

Only nodding, the female figure said, "Make sure you get to a doctor, you'll need those wounds looked at."

Confused, Andrew suddenly felt a pain in his leg. Looking down, he saw that the creature had managed to gouge a long tear in it, out of which blood was flowing quickly. "Alright…Thanks for saving us…"

With a nod, the male figure leaped away, followed closely by the female. Looking at the cloud they left behind, Andrew only sighed. "What is going on here?"


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- The Cure that Wounds

* * *

Bob's eyes slowly opened, and he found that he was inside a tent. Jerking up, he looked around and saw that others from the plane were inside too. Slowly loosening up, he realized he was inside the hospital tent for the airport. Even more slowly, he swung his legs over the side of the cot and walked to the nearest doctor. "Excuse me? What's going on?"

Turning, the doctor's face was clearly filled with sorrow. "The hijackers were all killed, but those men in black got the pilot and some of the passengers with the bomb they used to get in the plane. At least forty-three are dead."

"Jesus, this is a little heavy, isn't it?"

The doctor shook his head. "I know you've seen worse, sir." Turning back to the patient on the bed, the doctor ignored Bob.

Slightly shocked, Bob stumbled out of the tent, straight into two Marine lance corporals. "Sir, the Lt. Col says you're to come with us."

Exhausted, Bob only answered, "What kept you?"

* * *

Slowly, the Scouts regrouped at Darien's apartment. Looking over themselves, they realized that they needed real doctors, and quickly. Mars' arm was a torrent of blood. Sailor Moon had a broken arm. Mask had a concussion. Jupiter and Venus were both severely bruised. Nephrite and Earth were the only two still capable of protecting Tokyo. Nephrite went first. "We need to get to Lt. Col Grange. He's probably the closest thing to an ally right now."

"But he tried to stop us!" Jupiter said, trying to get up, then winching from the pain of her wounds. Slowly backing herself into the sofa again, she spoke much more softly. "That guy doesn't trust us, and we can't hurt him. Going to him would be like walking right into hornets nest."

Mercury shook her head. "I can't possibly heal all of you. I can barely heal myself. We need a real doctor, and one that we can trust." She looked down with sadness covering her face. "Mars and Moon need to get to an operating room fast, or else…"

Nodding, Nephrite turned back into Maxwell Stanton. "I'll find us some wheels. You all just try to get down to the first floor. I'll pick you up there, then bring us all to the airport." Leaving, the others decided to transform back as well.

* * *

"Do you have any idea what I've been dealing with the past half-hour!" Grange roared, pacing around his office like an angry lion. "I've just had to deal with the PM, the Diet, the Defense Force, Pentagon, FBI, CIA, UN, and a whole shitload of diplomats!" Grange stomped right up to Bob's face. "You should quickly give me one good reason why I shouldn't put you on a slow boat back."

"Because I'm the only-"

"Don't pull that shit with me! I know those girls are more than capable of beating whatever else is coming our way! Now, you are going to explain, in detail, what happened between the time the plane lifted off, and when you fell unconscious."

Sighing, Bob had no choice but to recount what he had just gone through.

* * *

The president's view slowly went from black to a blurry, unfocused world. "Where am I?" he thought. Trying to move his head, he discovered there was a tube running from his nose to…where? Moving his arm, he felt tubes coming out of those, too. "That's right," he thought, "I fainted…I think." Opening his mouth, he barely whispered "Hello?"

Almost instantly, a black figure was over the bed. "Welcome back, Mr. President. You had us all worried that you wouldn't make it." Almost instantly, the whole world came back into focus, as the Secret Service agent placed the president's glasses back on his face. "How are you feeling, sir?"

The president grunted. "I've been better, I know that. How's Tokyo doing?"

"The garrison reports an all clear, sir. The plane landed and the hostages were removed safely." That was all the agent could say, as he wasn't cleared for above Top Secret.

The door to the room opened, and a trio of agents walked in, followed by General Eastwing and Director Kelling. "Gentlemen, can you leave the room please? We have some things to discuss."

Looking at each other nervously, the agents slowly withdrew. The president wasn't worried, though. By now, he probably had a satellite devoted to his own personal protection. "Well, what's the latest story we're concocting?"

"We don't need one, sir," Kelling answered. "What happened was all real. There is no story, at least for us. Apollo had no action this time."

Eastwing spoke next. "The Marines held their own sir, and most of the passengers were saved from any serious injury, but the casualty list is still coming in, so who knows how many were lost."

The president nodded, then closed his eyes. "So…what're the Japanese saying about all this?"

"The usual gamut sir," Eastwing replied. "Sorry for you loss and all that." Eastwing paused for a minute, unsure of whether or not to tell the president what else had happened. He decided to give it to the pres in small pieces. "Sir, there was another force present during the fight. We don't know who it was, but its clear they aren't working along our lines."

The president sighed and looked out the window. The silence seemed to stretch on forever, both the general and the director waited for what seemed like centuries before the president spoke again. "Well, gentlemen, it looks like we've jumped from the fire into the volcano again."

* * *

Maxwell scoured the areas that were attacked by the monsters. Looking carefully, all he found were cars that were close to complete wrecks. Then, he found exactly what he was looking for. Turning a corner into a parking garage, he saw a body laying face down towards a large van. Silently praying for the man's soul, Max quickly searched the body and found some keys. Thanking whatever higher power existed, he drove off as fast as he could. Then, as he was pulling out, he saw a fire engine red Ferrari. Sighing, he quickly drove the van away.

Molly felt Rei's pulse and became even more worried. It had gone done quickly since she had arrived, and was getting softer by the second. Unless she got a transfusion, she would die. The others weren't much better. Mask was fading in and out of consciousness, and Ami was barely hanging on. If Max or Bob didn't do something soon, they'd go into a coma, or…"No! I won't let that happen!"

* * *

The commander sighed after taking off his helmet. The swim had been long, but nowhere near as challenging as the one he had to take for qualifying for his position. Looking around, he saw most of his men were either on the shore, or coming to it. He sighed again. The men he had lost were men he had handpicked from his old posting. They were good men. But now they were gone, lost to eternity. The commander quickly pushed such thoughts aside, though. He had a job to do, and by Marx, he was going to do it. "Radio the rest, tell them to swim ashore."

* * *

Wallace and Audley kept going over the data they had found on the case. "Well, what do we have."

"What else? This is looking more like the bear every day. This information almost proves it." Audley was almost glued to the paper in front of him. He was a man possessed.

"The general said he wanted the report finished by 1800 hours," Wallace said. "So its…crap! We have to move!"

* * *

Jadeite sighed as he creations kneeled before him. "What a shame. I give you such a simple task, to kill at least one sailor scout. Then you can't even do that directly. Instead, I have to wait for blood loss to kill them." He let out another deep sigh. "Seems like I may have jumped the gun in creating you. Oh well," he said, rising from his seat. "At least now we know they're wounded."

The three creatures only looked up blankly.

* * *

Grange stared at Bob numbly, then slowly said, "They're…coming here…why?!"

"You're men are the only people in the whole country they can afford to trust. We don't know who our enemies are right now, and you don't want to risk any men searching for those enemies. We are the only people you can spare." Bob started to get up, but Grange's face kept him down. "What more can I tell you, sir? Why in the hell do you think _we're_ causing these things, of all people?"

"Its happened before. The Reichstag fire, the Seven Year plans, the Great Leap forward. Whoever the 'Good Guys' are will always use trouble to their advantage."

"That's ridiculous!" Bob cried. "You know as well as I do that we have nothing to do with this!"

"No, actually, I don't." Grange sighed and got up. "Did you forget why you were sent here in the first place? Why you were sent to shadow the Sailor Scouts? Because we wanted information on what was happening, why it was happening. Then, you somehow find out about a 'past life', then join up with them, despite only written reports to back you up?" Grange sighed, and tried to find the right words. "I've had access to your records. I was impressed when I first read them, and still am. But now…I have a duty, both to the country and to my men. Do I make myself clear?"

Bob only nodded. "Fine. Listen, I'll give your friends medical assistance. Then you'll come to me. Since I haven't received any information from the top, you're under my command until further notice. Dismissed."

Nodding, Bob turned and left the tent quickly. After a few steps on the tarmac, he noticed the two L.C.s from before were following him. "You both know I can kill you both in three moves, right?" The Marines stood stock still, showing no sign of acknowledgement. "And that is why I've always respected Marines." Walking off to the aid tent, he grabbed his cell phone and started dialing.

* * *

Max and Molly were loading up the other girls and Darien when Darien's phone started ringing. Carefully, Max got the phone and answered. "Yes?"

"Max, its Bob. Don't talk just listen. The Marines are willing to work with us, for now. Our main priority now is to get everyone who needs a doctor over here now. Who's hurt, and how bad?" Max rattled off everyone's conditions. "Hm. Alright. What we need right now is to regroup, get orders from the White House. For now, we're under Grange's command, but that won't last. I'll be waiting at the front gate to the airport. Get there as soon as possible. Bob out."

Finally loading the others in, Maxwell drove towards the airport, Molly trying her best to keep everyone alive.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 A Split Decision

* * *

The Committee stared at the monitors without even a hint of emotion. They had authorized the operation, and so, they had no regrets. Add to the fact that they weren't the ones taking any real risk, and they were even more contented. "So, we are exactly on schedule?" one of the members asked.

The chairman nodded. He wasn't called chairman, though, since all members were equal. As in _Animal Farm_, though, "All members were equal, but some are more equal than others." "The distraction was only a small one. The commander and his teams should have few problems taking care of this…operation." The reason he had paused was obvious. None of them were ever exactly sure what to consider the mission, since nothing like it had ever been planned or executed. "What of the other unknowns?"

"They somehow managed to disappear from the media. From the information we can get, it looks like the UN forces are spreading themselves out to secure the city from them." The general paused to take a long drag from his cigarette before proceeding. "As of now, we have to more forces coming into play. A force of PLA troops from Sheng-du, and a battalion from Vladivostok."

"Can they be dealt with?" the chairman asked.

"They present no true problem. As always, the threat comes from the West." With that, the members separated and proceeded to their separate assignments.

* * *

Jadeite lounged about in his chamber, smiling to himself. The place was nothing but shades of black and dark purple, and all around, beings in strange masks and outfits clamored to be nearest to his throne. "Beryl was a fool," he whispered. "She tried to defeat our enemies using simple human toys. True, I have my own, but I made sure to modify them," motioning towards the former thugs, who were now becoming hungry again. "Using these deluded fools, we can once more claim this planet as our own, and then, we will once more be on the road towards conquering the universe!" The chamber erupted in wild cheers, as the masked things roared with approval.

* * *

The commander took stock of his men. He now had forty-three out of fifty men left to carry out the mission. They also had to leave behind a majority of their equipment on the transport, but that was the least of his worries. The Marines had started combing the mainland. Already, five different helicopters had flown overhead, and twice, the commander thought the game was up. They needed to find their contact, and quickly.

"Commander," his second said, "We have another issue. It seems there were two additional parties aboard the ship who could identify us."

The commander swore. Now he had to attack his countrymen and his countries allies. "Fine. Inform the men, we will have to perform contingency plan five."

The second in command nodded, and went to where the men were gathered. The commander often distanced himself from the men. He was their leader, nothing else. When they went on liberty after a successful mission, he went back to their quarters to prepare reports and commendations. He didn't look for female companions for the night, or have drinking binges. In a way, it was more suspicious that he didn't do such things, in the eyes of his superiors. Ever since the latest purges, they always eyed him cautiously, like a tamed tiger. A useful and beautiful showpiece, but to be shot at the first sign of trouble. He didn't resent them, per se, but he was wary. They were political animals, pure and simple.

"Commander, our ally has made contact. We are to proceed to the East Tokyo police HQ."

Nodding at his second, the commander quickly packed his gear. In seconds, the entire force was moving in the shadows, as it had for over twenty five years.

* * *

Young, Eastwing and Kelling all sat silently in the room, each trying to think of something that would break the overbearing silence each felt. Eastwing was thinking of how this would affect the troops on the ground. Kelling was coming up with plans for the FBI team in place in Tokyo. Young was busy trying to keep all the facts straight. Then, they all started talking at once, each on their own stream of consciousness. To the Secret Service outside, it sounded like a huge argument. When they finally ran out of steam, Kelling was first to talk. "I think we're getting too old for this," he said. "At this point, none of us will be around for Starlight."

"Worry about that latter," Young murmured. "Right now our biggest concern is for Apollo and the others. Eastwing, you said Grange had some suspicions?"

"Yes, sir. He thinks the Kingdom is creating these events to secure a place for themselves in the world. Since he's not cleared, I couldn't tell him the real reason."

Young sighed. "He's thinking like a leader." Methodically, Young hoisted his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Sir, please, you've suffered a massive heart attack!"

"Doesn't matter, Kelling. I have work to do. Eastwing, get your two boys in here, I need to talk with them. Kelling, alert your team to follow up on any missing persons reports, particularly anyone from the slums. And someone get me some goddamn pants!"

* * *

Grange ran all over his base at the airport, looking over casualty lists, hearing reports, and answering questions from the media. He hated the media the most, because he knew what he said was being turned into soundbites even as he talked into the mike. That was the least of his worries though. What topped the list was the Sailor Scouts coming to his base. When he thought back to the first meeting with them, he was grateful just to have allies on the inside. However, with the increasing number and size of incidents since their "discovery", he was beginning to have his suspicions. To other men, these would be how to take care of them if they got in the way. For Grange, it was what they might do to his marines.

Nearby, Bob, aka "Apollo", was sitting cross-legged on the ground, Grange's MPs ready for anything. Grange didn't know what to make of the teen. On one hand, he was the one with the most history, and so, the one who could be analyzed and made ally or enemy. On the other, the boy was a killing machine, trained in the art of death. Even with a whole base of Marines, Grange felt like the sheriff in "Rambo".

"Sir, chopper alpha reports a white van is proceeding at high speed towards out location."

Grange nodded. "Full defensive position at the front, I don't want anything left out, is that clear?" The aide nodded, then ran off to make the preparations.

* * *

Bob wasn't surprised to see Marines and armor moving into position around the gate. This meant the others were getting close. What worried him was still the mystery of who attacked the plane, and the men in black who killed the hijackers. "What does it mean? Are there still pockets of liberator resistance? And who sent those blacksuits?" He tried to think back to his briefings. Every so often, he was tasked with handling another countries black-ops and their harassment, if not destruction. He had done it a dozen times. The big question was the countries that still had such forces. The only ones he could think of were Russia and China. India was an ally, at least in name, and Europe was slacking in such areas. As his mind churned, he was just sucked deeper in an obvious mystery.

* * *

Max was completely oblivious to the police behind him, or the increasingly obvious military barricade ahead. His main concern was for the ones in the back. Rei was clearly out for a few days, and Serena was gone as well. Lita and Mina were little better, considering their injuries were probably more internal than external. Darien was babbling incoherently about something Max wasn't paying attention to. For him, the main concern was to get who attacked them, and nothing else.

Molly kept trying to keep Darien out of shock, and failing. Every time she tried to ask him a simple question, he would talk about the Moon kingdom, or Serena. It was like his brain had gone back in time, leaving his body to die. Ami was a lost cause. Though her wounds weren't nearly as bad as Rei's, her mind was a complete mess that would take hours to sort out. Right now, the best thing Molly thought to do was leave her be.

Grange looked over the defense one last time. There was a platoon of riflemen spread across the gate. Sharpshooters and snipers were hidden in ditches and abandoned cars. Three Humvees, each with an M2 Browning .50 cal., rounded out the group. "If they try anything," he thought, "my men won't go without a fight."

* * *

Wallace and Audley poured over the data over and over again. To both, what they saw was what they got. Russia had clearly used its crime connections to lure programmers from the private sector to do the dirty work of hacking into the US Defense net. To a pair of officers who had not gone through the dealing and double-dealing of the Cold War, all the clues were proof enough that Russia was clearly behind something. "So, when will the general be back?"

"In the hour, major."

* * *

**Okay, been a while since I've updated this one, and I need a favor. Tell me if I've made a Marty Stu character in Bob/Apollo, because, frankly, I hate those. And tell me how the story is doing to.**

**Basically,_ give me some reviews or the Scouts all get two in the head_!**


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